Meeting the needs of all includes those with differing struggles, and caring for a country’s people includes those with disabilities. Mali is a large country in West Africa, with an economy that relies heavily on agriculture and physical labor. Many people face barriers due to disability, which hugely exacerbates poverty in Mali. Disability and poverty in Mali are inextricably linked, as many are affected by various conditions that are not necessarily present in other countries.

Mali has a high rate of malnutrition and an unstable government that has few social programs in place. Wasting, diseases and physical deformities from landmine explosions are some examples of disabilities that hugely affect people living in Mali. Ongoing efforts by humanitarian organizations to improve health, living conditions and employment opportunities for disabled individuals foster hope for positive change.

Facts About Disability and Poverty in Mali

Data shows a seven percentage point gap in poverty rates between disabled and non-disabled populations. This means that a person living in Mali is seven percentage points more likely to live in poverty if they are disabled than if they are able-bodied. Many people fall into this category, as disabled people are not only discriminated against but are also unable to reach vital resources that are needed to live a healthy life. Only 36.82% of disabled people are employed or have a paying job of any kind, and only 24.13% of disabled people live in adequate and safe housing. Only 29.9% of disabled people live in households with sanitation and in conditions that are hygienic, causing disease that can worsen disability and create unhealthy conditions for others around them.

UNICEF’s Efforts to Address Disability in Mali

However, measures have been taken, thanks to UNICEF, to decrease both physical trauma and medical disability in children in Mali. About 222,864 children ages six through 59 months with severe wasting and malnutrition were admitted for medical treatment, eliminating future disability for those already living in poverty. Meanwhile, 34,338 children received vaccinations against measles and other potentially disabling diseases this year alone, helping prevent the spread of diseases that could be passed along and cause outbreaks. UNICEF provided 50,432 children with landmine prevention tactics to protect them from harm caused by explosions due to the country’s unstable government and continuing effort to displace its people in the northern half of the country. 

The Humanity Inclusion Group

Since 2016, the Humanity Inclusion Group has launched projects focused on adult health and disability prevention. By enhancing reproductive health services, the project has reduced infant mortality and disability risks for mothers and infants. It has made reproductive health much more accessible in Timbuktu and has partnered with the region’s Ministry of Health. They have also helped reduce the number of new infections among people with disabilities by improving their access to HIV prevention. Prevention and treatment of HIV and AIDS is a huge issue in Mali, and giving more legal opportunities for the people there to seek help is a necessity to fully address disability poverty.

The Humanity Inclusion Group is also helping those impacted by disability poverty through training in sectors such as agriculture. Projects have aimed to improve the living conditions of vulnerable people in Mali. They have been including people with disabilities in the working population and workforce in the Bamako region. This is an important undertaking because the majority of Mali’s workforce and economy is based on agriculture and rural farming.

The Sissako and Bamako regions, especially, are rural, and this project aims to reach those areas and provide valuable learning and tools to help disabled people find employment and receive education about their rights in the workplace. They have also met the basic food and non-food needs of vulnerable households. This initiative is intended for homes classified as in a food crisis. Participants receive coupons for pre-identified shopkeepers, which they can use to purchase goods needed for healthy living in the Timbuktu region. 

Looking Ahead

Understanding Mali’s economy, agricultural roots, and political turmoil paints a picture that is unkind to individuals with disabilities. Much of the work already occurring is to build social structures around the people of Mali and support them in areas where they cannot support themselves. Controlling the spread of disease and physical harm among children is one of the best ways to decrease unnecessary disability in the future. For others, support and social work are the best options for effectively meeting their needs, whether those needs are for food, sanitation, housing or employment. Work still needs to occur, but disability and poverty in Mali are issues that are at the forefront of these organizations’ minds.

– Eddie Hofmann

Eddie is based in Seattle, Washington, USA and focuses on Good News and Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash